What might have Been
by Lady Remus 1983
Summary: What if things had gone differently at Malfoy Manor? This is what could have happened. WARNINGS: non-con, dub-con, mind games, character death, turmoil, bondage, rough sex, toys, exhibitionism/voyeurism, physical punishment, AU world, DH Spoilers DARK FIC


**Title:** What might have been

**Rating:** NC-17

**Pairings:** Harry/Fenrir, Bellatrix/Ginny/Tom (_very, very minor)_

**Disclaimer:** All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Summary:** What if things had gone differently at Malfoy Manor? This is what could have happened.

**Warnings:** non-con, dub-con, mind games, character death, turmoil, bondage, rough sex, toys, exhibitionism/voyeurism, physical punishment, AU world **DARK FIC**

**Word Count:** 6,063

**Beta Readers:** luvscharlie (Live Journal) and sktypied (Live Journal)

**Author's Notes:** This for caelianokawaii for the 2008 hpspringsmut fest. I will admit I found this more difficult than I thought and many ideas have changed but the one thing that hasn't changed was the fact it is "in canon" for it starts during Chapter 23 of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" ("Malfoy Manor") and takes the story in a new direction. I have tried to put in the following kinks:

_during the war, bittersweet endings, Dub con, power play, desperateness, enthusiastic/rough sex, mind fucks, biting, teasing, urgency, guilty conscience, licking, dark!fic, characters being in difficult or vexing situations, inner turmoil story with conflict, angst and I tried desperately to put duality in the characters. I also was sneaky to put in a quickie threesome._

I will admit that I took several short paragraphs from the books but these are used for creative purposes only and will not be counted as the total word count Credits are as follows:

_The beginning paragraph (in italics) was taken from page 384 of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (UK Children's edition) (Chapter 23: Malfoy Manor)_

_Remus' quote that Harry remembers (also in italics) was taken from page 213 of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (UK Children's edition) (Chapter 14: Snape's Grudge)_

_The end paragraph (in italics) are snippets from other paragraphs taken from page 597, 598 and 600 of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (UK Children's edition) (Chapter 36: The Flaw in the Plan)_

**What might have been**

_Harry's scar was blinding with pain. Dimly, he knew that they had moments, seconds before Voldemort was with them._

"_Ron, catch- and GO!" he yelled, throwing one of the wands to him. _

The first thing that Harry noticed when he woke up was that the floor beneath him was very cold. When he curled up, his legs rubbed against the chilly stone, sending shivers all over his body. It was then he realised that he was naked, and he had been that way ever since what had happened at Malfoy Manor.

_The incident had only lasted a few seconds, and yet when he replayed the scene in his head, it felt like hours. Knowing that Lord Voldemort would be upon him any second, he had grabbed hold of Dobby and Griphook. However, just as he had begun spinning to Disapparate, a sharp pain hit his legs, causing him to topple to the ground, dropping the wands in the process. All he could hear was his name being desperately called out by Ron, with Bellatrix's laughter following immediately._

"_Ron," he had shouted, "GO!"_

_He watched as Ron took hold of Hermione and Griphook before spinning on the spot, then disappearing completely. He had no time to move before the doors of the drawing room flew open and Lord Voldemort stormed into the room. _

"_I hope that you have some news for me."_

"_Yes, my Lord," Bellatrix said excitedly pointing to Harry, "We have a special guest."_

_Voldemort turned to Harry still sprawled on the floor and he sneered, "Well, what have we here? He _is_ a special guest, isn't he?" _

_Harry crawled to reach the scattered wands but was suddenly pinned to the floor, his breath knocked out of him. He struggled under the heavy weight, but his wrists were grabbed and held by clawed hands. _

_He heard Fenrir growl above him. "Where do you think you're going?"_

_Fenrir secured his arm around Harry's torso and lifted him as he stood up. Harry squirmed in the werewolf's tight grip which only made the beast laugh. Suddenly, Harry felt the small knife dig deeper into his leg and he screamed. _

_Dobby said assertively, "Leave Harry alone!"_

"_Be quiet, you pest," Fenrir ordered as he swiped a paw at the elf and sent him flying, banging his head on the wall. Harry saw blood seep from Dobby's head and the elf's body remained lifeless._

_Harry screamed, "You bastard!" _

_He began to kick and squirm again, but then he felt Fenrir twist the blade in his leg, causing tears to fall down Harry's cheeks._

_Fenrir growled in Harry's ear, "If you want the pain to stop, I suggest you keep still."_

_Voldemort boomed, "Who gave you permission to cause him pain! Hurt him again and you will not get your reward!" He pointed to Draco, "You, boy! Pick up those wands!"_

_Bellatrix chipped in, "And this time, keep a tight grip on them."_

_Draco ignored her remark and picked up the wands before passing them to the Dark Lord. Although Fenrir obeyed Voldemort's orders, Harry remained still in his grip, too fearful of what Voldemort would do to him if he dared move. _

"_What do you mean by the wolf's reward, my Lord?" Bellatrix asked, "_I'm_ the one who called you here. The reward should be mine!"_

"_The Dark Lord promised that if Potter was brought here, I would be granted freedom," Lucius insisted. _

"_I'm the one who brought him here in the first place!" Fenrir argued. _

_Voldemort held up his hand immediately, "There is no need for this childish bickering. Lucius, you and your family may have your freedom," He turned towards Bellatrix and touched her cheek softly, "As for you, my ever faithful Bella, I'll make sure you are rewarded."_

_Bellatrix's eyes lit up at the thought of what her reward could be. To Harry, she looked like a child about to get a special treat. "Yes, my Lord." Her voice reflected her delight. _

_He looked at Fenrir who still had Harry in his tight grip, "Ah yes, Greyback. We can't forget about you, can we? You'll get your reward."_

_Greyback asked impatiently, "When?"_

"_All in good time, wolf." Voldemort walked slowly up to Harry and Fenrir. He caressed the boy's cheek, not stopping when Harry flinched away from his touch. "I'm sure we can come to some arrangement." The Dark Lord gripped Harry's chin and forced him to look into his own red eyes. "Can't we, Harry?"_

"_Fuck you!" Harry spat. _

_Voldemort leaned forward until Harry could feel the Dark Lord's breath on his face. Amused, he replied, "That's not a bad idea." Before Harry could reply, an excruciating pain shot from his scar throughout his entire body. He screamed in agony before succumbing to unconsciousness._

When he had awoken, he had found himself stripped of his clothes and left in the cold, dark cell that had been his home ever since. The knife Fenrir had pressed against his leg had left a red wound which only stung a little now. The only light which penetrated the darkness of Harry's cell came from a small barred window very close to the ceiling. The only sign of the outside world was a plastic bowl of water which was pushed through a very small slot at the bottom of the door. His wrists and ankles were attached to the wall by chains that were barely long enough for him to crawl to the door in order to reach the bowl. A few times, he had felt the urge to cry out for help, but deep down he knew that his cries would be in vain. He was completely alone.

The one thought, however, which continued to haunt Harry's mind, which would give him no peace, was the last one Voldemort had spoken to him.

"_I'm sure we can come to some arrangement. Can't we, Harry?"…."Fuck you."…."That's not a bad idea."_

He had tried to penetrate Voldemort's mind but to no avail; it was obvious that the Dark Lord was taking extra precautions to make sure that Harry had no idea what he had in mind. Harry secretly hoped that he would be left alone to die, but he knew that he would not be granted that privilege. He knew that his death would be a slow, but painful, progress and, in its own way, creative.

Suddenly, the door opened, and he looked up to see two figures staring down at him. Harry could not see them clearly for they were silhouetted by the light behind them. As he watched them walk down the stairs slowly towards him, he sighed to himself, knowing that whatever was to happen to him, it was time. He struggled to keep still as he heard footsteps slowly approaching. He tried to control the fear flowing through him but the clattering of the chains and manacles as his body trembled echoed through the cell.

He heard Voldemort's satisfied chuckle in the darkness. "I believe that the little Saviour is afraid. Wouldn't you agree, Greyback?" Harry remained silent as the Dark Lord walked towards him.

"Ah, yes," Fenrir spoke, "I think the little bitch is terrified." Harry felt the werewolf's breath as he sniffed the boy. "Yes, he is soaking in fear," Fenrir whispered. "I love that smell." He licked the inside of Harry's ear.

"Does your reward satisfy you, wolf?"

"Yes," Fenrir replied, still whispering into Harry's ear. "I prefer my prey much younger but--" The wolf trailed his sharp nails down Harry, sending involuntary sensations through Harry's shivering body, "As long as he is still a virgin…have you ever been fucked, boy?" When Harry did not reply, the werewolf grabbed hold of Harry's hair and yanked his head back, "Answer me!" When Harry still refused to answer, Fenrir twisted his hair, making him scream in pain.

"No need for aggression, wolf," Voldemort said, in a way that Harry could only describe as patronising. "There is another--and more interesting--way to find out the truth."

A shot of blinding pain penetrated Harry's mind as images from his past flashed into his head. Harry tried in vain to stop the Dark Lord from entering his most private memories: _The night he had found out he was a wizard, the few precious moments he had spent with Sirius and…_

"NO!" he shouted.

It was too late. Voldemort had seen Ginny; his first kiss with her, their few special weeks together and the long kiss on his seventeenth birthday. The Dark Lord could feel Harry's longing for her. Suddenly, the pain vanished as Voldemort retreated from his mind.

"He is a virgin," Voldemort said, and then with a sneer, continued, "Was that painful, Harry? Well, maybe you'll remember that the harder you struggle, the more intense the pain will be. Consider that your first lesson here."

Harry asked weakly, "First lesson?"

"Oh yes," Voldemort replied, moving until his face was directly above Harry's, who was still held in Fenrir's grip. Stroking Harry's cheek with one fingertip, he continued, "I have been waiting for this moment for years. Did you really think I would kill you quickly? No, I want you to _suffer_."

Harry retorted, "Why don't you do it yourself then? Or are you worried that it will end like last time?"

Voldemort chuckled, unfazed. "Oh, I will not deny myself the pleasure. The last thing you will see before you die are my eyes. Until then, Fenrir has been promised a reward. Have him as long as you like, Greyback. You have earned it." And with that, the Dark Lord disappeared into the shadows.

The moments that passed were too long, too silent for Harry to bear. He had heard things about Greyback, mostly from Remus, but he wondered if his former teacher had ever been _this_ close to the werewolf before, helpless, shackled to the floor and about to be used.

Suddenly, Fenrir scraped Harry's back with the tip of his sharp nail. Harry gritted his teeth, his still manacled hands balling into fists. Fenrir's nail trailed lower until he reached the rim of Harry's anus. Harry clenched his buttocks, attempting to move away. The werewolf chuckled evilly and continued to scrape the boy's rim, finding the situation more amusing every time Harry move forward to escape.

When Harry could no longer move away from him, Fenrir slowly pushed his longest finger into Harry's entrance, scraping the boy's insides with his nail tip. Harry hissed and writhed, pulled on the strong chains in the hope that they would break.

Fenrir chuckled. "Trying to get away already? But I've not had my reward yet!"

"Fuck off!" Harry spat out through clenched teeth.

"My, my. Such language," Fenrir retorted. "What are they teaching you young people at that precious school of yours these days?"

"How not to be a bastard like you!"

"Well, prepare for another lesson; how to be the perfect bitch." Fenrir dug his nail deeper into Harry's rim, causing him to scream. "Yes, scream pretty for me. By the end, you'll be screaming for my cock."

"Fuck you!"

Fenrir pressed himself against Harry's back, digging his nails into Harry's arms. The boy tried not to scream, tried not to give the werewolf the satisfaction of any more reactions to the pain. But, as Fenrir dug his nail deeper, Harry's resistance crumbed and he let out a blood-curdling scream.

"No, fuck _you_, boy!" Fenrir growled. "I think you need to be taught to respect your elders. I was going to prepare your tight arse, but I think, no, I _know_ I'm going to fuck you dry."

Fenrir grabbed hold of Harry's hair, twisting it in his grip. He then pushed his hard erection through Harry's tight ring of muscle.

"STOP!" Harry screamed as tears formed in his eyes.

"This will teach you to be a cocky bitch!" Fenrir gruffed angrily. He pushed his cock deeper, laughing as fought to get away from him. "Don't fight me, boy. Submission can feel so good."

Harry stilled and tried to spread his legs to ease the pain, but Greyback's thighs were too strong, clamping Harry's legs in place. Fenrir's thrusts seemed to be never-ending until Harry could feel coarse hairs rubbing against his backside. When Fenrir started to pound him, Harry could feel the werewolf's hair rubbing his smooth skin, causing a rash to appear.

Harry closed his eyes, attempting to focus his mind on anything that was far away from here, far away from this pain, far away from this disgusting situation. The first image that came to his head was his godfather, Sirius, and he focused on that, his Sirius who had remained strong for Harry despite his own personal demons. As he regressed into his memories, he was able to leave this place, this horror, including the pain.

_Oh no, you don't!_ Voldemort barked in Harry's mind. _Don't start thinking about your pathetic godfather._

_No!_ Harry mind screamed. _Leave me alone!_

His efforts were in vain; his memories were replaced with what Voldemort could see. Harry could see himself, his hair in Fenrir's meaty fist as he pounded into Harry's submissive body. Harry could also feel the arousal rising in the Dark Lord.

"I can see that you're limp, Harry," Voldemort said. "I think we need to remedy that. Don't you agree, Greyback?"

Suddenly, Fenrir hit a spot, sending a tingle down Harry's spine. Harry shuddered, his whole body reacting to the single thrust, an aroused moan escaping from his lips. Fenrir's next thrust brushed against his prostate again, and the sensations were stronger, more pleasurable. Although Harry knew it was rape, he had never felt anything that felt so good.

"You writhe like a bitch in heat," Fenrir chuckled. "Does my little bitch want more?" Harry nodded enthusiastically, but clearly ashamed by the eagerness of his own response. Greyback could tell the boy was struggling, but his will was breaking, and the pleasure was becoming too intense to deny himself. He knew the boy would comply. "Then ask me…_nicely_."

"Please," Harry pleaded, no longer sure himself whether he was asking the wolf to continue or stop.

Fenrir pounded into his backside again, deliberately stroking the boy's special spot. With each hard thrust from the wolf, Harry felt his own cock harden.

"No!" Harry moaned, feeling betrayed by his own body, "No!"

"Yes." Fenrir growled, satisfied at the sight of Harry's erection. "It feels good, doesn't it? Doesn't my cock feel nice inside your tight arse?"

Harry shook his head roughly. "No! No!"

Fenrir laughed. "Then why do you beg for my cock?" He stopped thrusting, buried completely inside Harry.

The wolf reached around Harry's body and took the boy's cock in his hand. He squeezed Harry's cock hard and continued to do so until Harry was rock-hard and aching. A sound escaped from the boy's throat, a sound that was mixed with arousal and pain. The wolf sniffed the air and growled softly near Harry's ear.

"The smell of fear has gone now," Fenrir said. "You smell of sex now, boy." He leaned in even closer to Harry's ear. "You smell like a bitch in heat. Your body has submitted to mine and I know that you _love_ my cock deep inside you."

"No!" Harry protested.

Fenrir grabbed hold of Harry's hips, grinding his cock inside Harry's ass, hitting the boy's prostate with each movement of his hips. The pain had gone completely for Harry, replaced with an indescribable pleasure that shot up his spine and flowed down to his erection with each hard thrust. With his eyes closed, Harry could see what Voldemort could see; himself being fucked mercilessly by the werewolf, his cock hard and leaking, screaming for release.

Suddenly, Fenrir stopped moving. He pulled himself out of Harry as slowly as his first thrust. Harry moaned involuntarily at the loss, and shuffled backwards toward the werewolf.

Fenrir chuckled. "Still in denial are we, boy?"

Harry shook his head, moaning, "Please! Please!"

"Please what?" Fenrir teased, panting his foul breath into Harry's ear. "You'll have to tell me what you want."

"Your cock!" Harry screamed with need, "I want you to fuck me! It feels so good!"

Fenrir rubbed his leaking cock against the rim of Harry's anus, "You mean you want _this_?"

"Yes!" Harry nodded eagerly. "Please! Please!"

Fenrir growled. "Complete submission."

He drove the head of his cock into Harry, but then he abruptly pulled it out completely. He repeated the motion, enjoying Harry's pines for more.

"If you want my cock, boy," Fenrir whispered, "do what I say. Push your arse back, if you want my cock so badly."

Harry hesitated for a moment but then he felt Fenrir's cock slowly sliding into him, but stopping after only pushing the head of his cock into the boy. The pleasure returned and Harry could resist no longer. He shuffled back, pushing himself onto the werewolf's erection, then moving his hips fast. He heard Fenrir's low laughter but he no longer cared. His body had betrayed him completely, so that the only thing that mattered were the sensations coursing through him as Fenrir's cock hit his prostate and the throbbing of his own cock. He had never felt so good before and he did not want the pleasure to stop. This was so much better than those nights he had spent alone in his room masturbating.

He felt fingertips brushing against the whole length of his erection, rubbing his wet tip as Fenrir's teeth nipped and grazed his shoulder. He could feel his climax coming and the need to release it made him move his hips faster.

He impaled himself upon Fenrir's cock once more as he came. He felt his cock spill everywhere and he let out all his tensions with a loud, relieved scream. In the midst of his orgasm, Fenrir knelt up and pushed Harry's arse onto his cock once more. Harry felt a delicious warmth spill inside him. It was the last thing he felt before his world went black.

When Harry woke up, he started to feel the agonising pain in his arse and the small of his back. Without moving his head, he looked up and stars appearing through the small window. He gazed in the cell again and saw his shadow flickering on the wall. He turned his head and saw that a throne had been placed in the centre of his cell, standing between two wooden tables. Placed on each table was a candelabrum with a lit candle in each holder. He shuffled and he felt something cold and wet on his leg. He looked down and saw the pool of his shame.

_Get up!_

The voice calling was not his own, but his body responded, even as his mind attempted to fight off the effects of the Imperius Curse. He tried to stand up but the manacles were still fixed to his arms and legs, and the most comfortable position was kneeling on his hands and knees. He looked up and saw Voldemort robed in black sitting on the throne.

"I must congratulate you, Harry Potter," Voldemort spoke. "Not many learn my lessons so quickly. However, being a good student will not save you from imminent death."

Harry asked, "Then why not kill me now?"

"So eager for your death, are you, Potter? That is not suitable behaviour for a Saviour or a Gryffindor. But, as I said before, I want you to suffer. And I feel that your suffering may take longer than I originally planned. Greyback has taken a shine to you and I wouldn't want to deny him his pleasure. Of course, your status very well may change when your favourite werewolf's brat is born."

"You leave them alone!" Harry yelled.

"You are in no position to demand anything from me. And yet, I must admit that I am impressed. You're shackled to the floor after being used like a whore and you're still trying to protect those you love, just like with sweet Ginny. Yes, I didn't have to look into your mind to know about her. After all, we're very similar. It's only right that we should have the same taste in women."

"Leave her alone."

"Leave her alone?" Voldemort's evil laugh echoed throughout the room. He approached Harry, kneeling beside him. "You forget, dear boy, that she came to me, a lonely eleven year old girl pouring her heart out to the only friend she had. She loves me. She gave her heart to me. You know, you never forget your first love."

Harry fought back. "She doesn't love you!"

"You sound so confident, Harry, but maybe I should _show_ you what your precious Ginny has been up to while you've been down here."

Voldemort traced a finger along the scar on Harry's forehead and the pain flowed through his head. Harry screamed, desperately trying to pull away.

The Dark Lord grabbed hold of Harry's hair, holding him in place. "Forgotten your first lesson already? No matter, you'll have plenty of time to learn."

_Harry was in a candle-lit room. He could see his precious Ginny, naked and sitting on Bellatrix's naked lap. Bellatrix's hands were grasping Ginny's breasts, teasing her hardening nipples. Ginny's face contorted with pleasure and she ground her hips on the strap-on that Bellatrix was wearing. _

_Another figure entered the room, robed completely in black, back towards Harry. The figure removed his robe, letting it fall at his feet, baring his youthful body. Harry walked around to have a closer look and the sight made him step back in shock._

"_Tom Riddle!"_

_Harry blinked and it was unmistakable; his facial features were the same as when Harry had encountered him in the Chamber of Secrets so long ago. Tom did not see to hear Harry's outcry as he knelt down in front of Ginny, who was engrossed in the delight that was being brought to her. Harry could not help noticing that Tom's cock was long and hard, leaking pre-come._

"_Need to come…" Ginny moaned. "Please, let me come!"_

"_Ask your Master for permission then, bitch," Bellatrix whispered in a seductive voice. _

_Ginny looked at the stranger, never ceasing the movement of her hips. "Master, may I come? Please?"_

"_I love hearing my Princess beg," Tom said seductively. "Tell me who you belong to first!"_

"_You!" Ginny screamed. "I belong to you, my Lord!"_

"_No, Ginny!" Harry shouted. _

_Tom__stroked her cheek. "Then come, Princess."_

_She pushed her hips forcefully down on the dildo once more, and her body shuddered as she cried out her orgasm. After a few moments, Bellatrix tossed Ginny to the ground and Tom spread her legs so Harry could see Ginny's wetness dripping onto the floor. Tom towered over her using his legs to spread her legs wider…_

"NO!" Harry screamed.

Without warning, Harry was jerked back from the vision, and though the images had vanished, the pain remained. He could feel the tear trails still damp upon his face. He did not remember when he had started to cry.

Voldemort taunted, "Don't you want to see more, Harry? Don't you want to know how loud she moaned for more? How she lifted her legs up and spread them wide so I could go nice and deep inside her? How she begged her me to fuck her hard and fast, like a whore?"

Harry opened his eyes and shouted, "You forced her to do it!"

"No. Didn't you see her? Her hands were free. She could have fought back and tried to resist me."

"You must have used the _Imperius_ Curse."

"It was of her free will and she did it for me."

Harry shook his head. "No, she did it for _Tom_."

Voldemort retrieved his wand from his pocket and put it to Harry's forehead. "_Crucio!_"

Harry's body began to jerk and writhe, and he cried out from the excruciating pain. However, when the agony subsided, he spoke defiantly, his spirit clearly not broken, "You despise your name and yet you become him to get to her. But she has seen you for what you are! She saw through you before, and she'll see you for what you are now. The pretty face you once had won't be enough to fool her for long."

"Oh, dear Harry, don't you realise that all that was simply a way to forget me? But as soon as she saw the man that she craves, all that pretending was gone. Of course, she could be ours if you just forget about this War and join my side now. This could be over now if you agree to serve me."

Harry fought back, weakly, "No."

"You can have everything you want…"

"I won't have my parents back. Because of you, they're dead--and because of your followers, more lives have been destroyed."

"I never meant to kill your mother. I was sworn to keep her safe."

Harry screamed, "Liar!"

Voldemort waved his hand in dismissal of the comment, "Have it your way. Maybe your mother will tell you the truth when I send you to meet her. But don't expect a quick death. I will keep you here to be mine and Greyback's until I have destroyed everyone and everything that stands against me. And then, when the War is over and I have won, I will bring you out, beaten and broken, to show the rest of the wizarding world what has become of their saviour. You will plead for your death, and only then will I grant your wish in front of the remaining few that still believe in you. And I will have your precious Ginny by my side, willing to assist in your death."

Voldemort stood up and with a swift flick of his wand, all the candles were gone, leaving the cell in darkness. Instead of Disapparating as Harry had believed he would, he left the cell via the door. When the door was slammed shut and locked, Harry curled up against the wall as best as he could.

As time dragged on in the uncomfortable darkness, his mind began to wander. He did not ry to block his thoughts. There was no point; the Dark Lord knew everything. He thought of Hermione and Ron, hoping against hope that they had not been caught and were even now on their way to destroy the remaining Horcruxes; the fate of the entire Wizarding World now rested upon their shoulders.

Then, he thought of Hedwig, his loyal pet, the first real birthday present he had received in his all too short life. He had not thought of her since she had died. During the dreaded summers at the Dursleys', she had been his only companion; his only reminder of the world to which he belonged. She had kept him sane during those times, a living breathing testament to remind him that September 1st would soon come, and he would be going home.

He thought of Dobby; ever since Harry had freed him, the house elf had shown him gratitude and a loyalty that was unconditional. Despite being dwarfed by Fenrir, Dobby had protected him to his death, giving his life for Harry.

_Just like Sirius._

The sudden thought hit Harry's heart. Sirius--another important person in Harry's life. He knew that Sirius would not want Harry pining over him, but Harry hurt all overemotionallyas he thought about the sacrifices that Sirius had made, sacrifices for a world that had turned its back on him. He had been convicted of a crime he did not commit, and spent 12 years in the wizarding prison, Azkaban. Sirius had sacrificed his freedom, and later his own life, for his godson; actions that now seemed to have been in vain.

And Ginny, his beautiful Ginny. He had wasted so much time. Time that could have been spent, happy, with Ginny. He would have given everything to have the Marauder's Map just to make sure that she was safe from Voldemort, and the vision that had invaded his mind was nothing more than a sick delusion. He would have given even more than that to hold her one more time.

_Why? Why did I have to be so fucking stupid? _Harry thought to himself, trying to stop the tears from falling. It was then that he heard Remus' voice in his head, words that were said to him a lifetime ago, _"Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. A poor way to repay them--gambling their sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks."_

_Why didn't I listen to Hermione?_He thought. _Why did I have to say his name?_

And finally, it was too much. He simply could not contain it all, and he let the tears fall silently down his face. He looked up at what few stars he could see through the small window of his cell and wished for a chance to express his regrets, to say how sorry he was to so many people; to Remus for calling him a coward, when he was anything but; to Ginny for the time they could have had together, if only he'd taken notice of the girl who was growing into a woman right before his eyes; to Ron and Hermione, the friends who would now have to complete the task of destroying the remaining Horcruxes, and possibly lose their own lives in the process.

Suddenly, a figure appeared, spinning on the spot a few times before stopping to face Harry. He shuffled back towards the wall, his chains and manacles clanking in the otherwise silent cell.

"Harry!"

Harry's mouth flew open. "_Ron?_"

The figure approached him in silently, and knelt in front of him. He whispered, "_Lumos!_" and a light appeared from the tip of the stranger's wand.

"Ron!" Harry gasped out a weak laugh. "Bloody hell!"

"Ssh. I have to get you out of here, quick."

Ron placed his wand on one of the manacles and muttered a spell. The shackle immediately released Harry's wrist. Ron repeated the spell until Harry was free from his bonds. Ron wrapped his arm around Harry's waist and helped him to his feet. Harry put his arm around his friend's shoulder and held on to him as they flew into a dark void.Seconds later, they collapsed onto grass. That was when dizziness consumed Harry and everything went black.

Harry stirred in his sleep and began to wake. As he began to rouse, he felt softness and warmth, a stark contrast to the cold, hard floor of his cell. He sat up, rubbing his eyes and although his vision was blurry, he could see his glasses on the bedside cabinet. He picked them up and put them on. He saw that the curtains were open wide, and sunlight was pouring into the room.

He wondered, _Was it all a dream?_

He stood up slowly, and a rush of sharp pain rushed to the small of his back. He looked down at his hands and saw deep red marks imprinted on his wrists. He saw that the bed next to him was unmade, which made Harry smile as he remembered that it had been Ron who had saved him. He mumbled to himself, "The Saviour of the Saviour."

Trying not to let the memories of the ordeal he had lived through overtake his mind, he left the bedroom and walked down the corridor, not recognising the surroundings. After going down the stairs, he walked into the first room he encountered, which was the kitchen. He saw Ron sitting at the kitchen table, helping himself to a rather tall pile of toast, which appeared to be burned. Hearing Harry enter, Ron looked up and ran to his friend, pulling him into a tight hug.

"Harry, you're alright!

"Well, of course I'm alright," Harry laughed. "You got me out of there, didn't you?"

"Yeah, mate. It was me."

"Thanks." After a moment of hugging, Harry pulled away and asked, "Where's Hermione?"

"Probably still in bed."

"How did you find me?"

"We were led by that doe patronus to a building in the middle of nowhere. We peeked through the windows at the bottom and found you pretty quickly."

"How long have I been here?"

"Three days."

"I was sleeping for _thre _days?"

"Yeah."

"Where are we anyway? Where is everyone?"

"We're at Bill's place. Dean and Luna are back at Hogwarts whilst Ollivander and Griphook are in hiding.Bill and Fleur went down to the Burrow to see Mum and Dad."

"Where's Ginny?"

"What do you mean?"

"I just have to know," Harry insisted. "Is she safe?"

"Yeah, Luna wrote us a letter yesterday. Things are still crap at Hogwarts but Ginny's there. Why?"

"Are you sure?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Yes. Luna mentioned her in her letter. _Why?_"

Harry started to cry silently. His emotions were mixed; she was safe. Voldemort had lied to attempt to break him.

Ron shuffled his feet uncomfortably, unsure what to do."Hey, come on, mate. It's okay. What happened to Dobby?"

"He was killed," Harry mumbled. "He died trying to protect me. I've failed, haven't I?"

"'Course not, Harry. We believe that one of the Horcruxes is at Gringotts, and Hermione and I were constructing a plan on how to retrieve it when we saw the silver doe. So you've not failed." Ron patted Harry's back. "Come and get some food inside you. You must be hungry."

Having no mental energy to argue, Harry agreed, "More like starved. You're being to sound like your mum, you know."

Ron answered in a mock threatening voice, "Don't ever say that again."

"Well, you do," Harry insisted, "After all, she's always saying that food is the remedy to all of life's problems."

Ron shrugged his shoulders, "Well, she's got a point."

Harry sat down at the table, "Is that why you are always eating?"

Ron did not answer as he sat down at his seat opposite Harry, who picked up a piece of cooling toast from the pile. After one bite, his stomach growled with neglected hunger and he finished off the slice greedily. He ate five more slices of the toast, even though it was black and burned, and drank two full glasses of milk before either of them spoke again.

Ron laughed. "I'm glad I made too much. I just hope it wasn't too burnt for you."

"Mate, I was so hungry that I would have happily eaten an entire plate of Hagrid's rock cakes."

"Bloody hell! You really were hungry."

The pair laughed loudly, and for a moment, it was as if the last few days had never happened. It was only a few short hours ago that Harry had believed he would never laugh again.

From somewhere behind him, Harry heard a familiar and welcome voice. "Your laughter could wake the dead."

They both turned and saw Hermione standing in the doorway, her sleepy face bright at the sight of Harry. She ran and enveloped him in a tight hug as well as kissing him on the cheek.

"I'm glad you're alright," Hermione said happily. "You _are_ okay, aren't you?"

"Yeah, Hermione, I'm okay."

Hermione asked, "What happened to you, Harry?"

Harry's body froze at the memories. "I don't want to talk about it now."

"Harry…."

Ron interrupted, "Leave him alone, Hermione. He doesn't want to talk about it."

Although Harry was still wrapped tightly in Hermione's arms, he could sense that she was giving Ron one of her looks, and he couldn't resist smiling at the thought that nothing much had changed whilst he was gone. Ron and Hermione were, if nothing else, constant.

Harry knew the War was far from over. There were more Horcruxes to be destroyed and more battles to be fought. Nightmares may come to taunt him in the silent night or Voldemort may choose to torment his mind for escaping Voldemort's clutches.The one small comfort he could allow himself was the knowledge that he would not be alone in this fight. He knew that the best friends he could ask for. Friends who had been there ever since an unforgettable encounter with a mountain troll and had stuck with him, despite risking their lives in the process. Friends who would do anything for him, and had proven so time and again; and would continue to do so until the end, whatever that end may be. He knew that, and it was enough for now.

…_and Harry slid the Cloak up over himself, and got to his feet._

_Now he could move through the Hall without interference. He spotted Ginny two tables away; she was sitting with her head on her mother's shoulder: there would be time to talk later, hours and days and maybe years in which to talk…Along the aisle between the tables he walked, and he spotted the three Malfoys, huddled together as though unsure whether or not they are supposed to be there, but nobody was paying them any attention. Everywhere he looked he saw families reunited, and finally, he saw the two whose he craved the most. _

…_Happiness would come, Harry thought, but at the moment it was muffle by exhaustion…most of all he felt the most stupendous relief and a longing to sleep_

…_he turned away from the painted portraits, thinking now only of the four-poster bed lying waiting for him in Gryffindor, and wondering whether Kreacher might bring him a sandwich there, "I've had enough trouble for a lifetime."_

_End_


End file.
